default versus named instance with custom app

Are there some general recommendations/guidelines/best practices for choosing to run your custom application against a default or named instance of SQL Server?

We have an application, which in it's stand-alone/local configuration, installs an MSDE default instance if it does not already exist, and runs against this instance. In addition, regardless of whether or not it installs the default instance, it expects to run against the default instance.

We are looking into migrating to SQL Server 2005 Express (Compact almost fits our needs, but not quite), and would like to pay more attention to the best solution regarding the use of instances, default versus named.

Thanks

hi,

1TechZ wrote:

Are there some general recommendations/guidelines/best practices for choosing to run your custom application against a default or named instance of SQL Server?

the "general" recomendation is to use a "standard" named instance named SQLExpress idf you do not need particular custom settings..

We have an application, which in it's stand-alone/local configuration, installs an MSDE default instance if it does not already exist, and runs against this instance. In addition, regardless of whether or not it installs the default instance, it expects to run against the default instance.

this is not a "best practice" behaviour.. users should be able to identify the instance the application should run against..

regards

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As Andrea indicated, it will be 'best' you your application has its own instance. That way you will have complete control over the security.

If you use the default instance, or the SQLExpress instance, since the user may have administrator priviledges, he/she may be able to access your database, even altering schema and/or code. Not particularly something you want to have to support.